title: Visual manifestations in Alzheimer's disease: a clinic-based study from India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amnesia, though non-memory-cognitive domains like visual are also affected. We planned to study frequency of visual dysfunctions in AD and their relationship with dementia severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in the Cognitive clinic of Department of Neurology, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, between January 2007 and December 2010. 55 patients of AD were evaluated by neurological and neuropsychological assessments and by special tests for visual dysfunctions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Common visual dysfunctions were visuo-constructional (87.3%), visuo-perceptual (63.6%), object agnosia(47.3%), prosopagnosia (45.5%), visual hallucination (27.3%) and simultanagnosia (12.7%). Symptoms of ventral visual pathway dysfunction were more common than that of dorsal pathway. MMSE score and number of visual manifestations had a good correlation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual dysfunctions are common in AD, elicitation of which helps us to understand the cause of disability so that appropriate steps can be taken.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Burdwan Medical College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India. drspalneuro@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sandip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Debashis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanyal
authors.forename: Atanu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: Neelanjana
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Shyamal K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000377:Agnosia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020238:Prosopagnosia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; MMSE; posterior cortical symptoms; visual manifestations